38 fighting birds quarantined in Old Bridge

OLD BRIDGE -- Thirty-eight roosters and cocks -- with shaved chests and razors on their talons -- remain quarantined in Old Bridge after authorities charged their owner with illegally possessing, training and selling cockfighting birds.

Orphilio Chaviano, of 1120 Route 9 South, was charged Tuesday with animal cruelty after the state Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals located the fighting birds on his property.
Authorities believe Chaviano receives the birds from abroad, trains them to fight and then sends them back out of the country.

Alexandra Pais/For The Star-LedgerA cage can be seen behind the house at 1120 Route 9 South where authorities found 38 roosters and cocks on Tuesday.

Matt Stanton, a spokesman for the NJSPCA said Chaviano's house contained boxes with the Delta Airlines logo that were dated July 28. Because the birds may have come from abroad, the Department of Agriculture was called to the home to take blood samples to test the birds for Avian Flu.

Chaviano was at his home today, but refused to comment. Phone calls to his lawyer were not returned.

While the birds were signed over to the NJSPCA, they will not be removed until the test results come back, said Stanton. They eventually will be euthanized.

"They are full of steroids, can't be consumed, and are trained to fight, so they will fight every bird they can find," said Stanton. "They are not the kinds of birds you can rehabilitate."

Stanton said the NJSPCA was called in by Old Bridge police on Tuesday afternoon. He said the birds were found in individual cages outside Chaviano's home. Needles and steroids, which are used to make birds heal faster, also were found, he said.

Chaviano's neighbor, Tom Pettignano, owner of Tommy Golfcarts, said Chaviano waved hello to him every morning.

"I'm shocked something like this could happen in our own backyard," said Pettignano. "I hear the birds every morning. It's pleasant sounding." Pettignano said he thought they were Chaviano's pets.

According to the Humane Society, cockfighting is a centuries-old sport in which two or more specially trained birds are placed in an enclosed space to fight, primarily for entertainment and gambling. The brawl can last anywhere from a few minutes to more than half an hour, and usually results in the death of one of the birds. Oftentimes, thousands of dollars are bet. Injuries like pierced eyes, broken bones, and punctured lungs are common.